February 15, 2020 | 4 minute read
The face is the most visible part of the body. Therefore, a facelift is a more intricate plastic surgery as the surgeon must make sure that the delicate facial harmony and balance remains intact during this surgical procedure.
In this procedure, the skin is lifted off the face to tighten weakened underlying muscles and tissues, and eliminate excess skin. The recovery stage is a crucial element of the facelift surgery process.
Depending on the extent of the procedure, the technique used, and the patient’s inherent ability to heal, the duration of the recovery phase may vary. During the pre-op consultation, the surgeon will discuss the recovery process with the patient. Board certified plastic surgeon Dr. Marco Gonzalez provides facelift surgery to patients in El Paso, TX, and surrounding locations.
Primary Elements in Facelift Recovery
Apart from physical recovery, facelift surgery also involves other aspects such as social recovery, emotional recovery, and recovery of the natural sensation of the facial skin.
The facial integrity and identity of the patient are involved in facelift surgery. This makes the social and emotional recovery aspects almost as crucial as physical recovery. The recovery process typically takes nearly two to three weeks.
The surgeon will take out the sutures and drain pipes in around one week to ten days. Following this, the patient can return to their regular activities or resume work.
But if the patient wants the procedure to remain discreet, they may want to stay at home for around two weeks to enable the signs of the surgery to become even less visible. There may be some residual swelling even after two weeks. However, the patient can apply makeup to conceal this.
After the initial week, the bruising will resolve rapidly. Patients with thinner faces are at an advantage as the mild facial swelling may appear only as a subtle fullness of the face making it less visible.
The treated facial sites will improve significantly and mature by the third week. A majority of patients will feel numbness in the skin surrounding the ears. But this usually resolves by itself in the next few weeks.
The areas that support the sutures will feel slightly tight to the patient but will be concealed from others. The surgeon will provide the patient with detailed post-op instructions, which the patient should follow in a diligent manner for a quick and safe recovery.
Driving Tips
In the first week after facelift cosmetic surgery, the patient should avoid driving as the mild rigidity in the neck and lower face may make it painful for them to turn their head. They should also avoid driving as long as they are on pain drugs.
When the patient does begin to drive after the surgery, they should ideally ask another individual to accompany them. In this manner, the other person can manage the situation if the patient feels tired.
Social Tips
Patients with an active social life will have to determine when they can resume their social engagements. The noticeable signs of the surgery will take at least two weeks to resolve.
The patient may consider making subtle changes to their hairstyle and wearing more makeup to hide the conspicuous signs of facelift surgery. Cosmetic surgeon Dr. Marco Gonzalez receives patients from El Paso, TX, and nearby areas for facelift.
For more information on Plastic Surgery (cirugía plástica) and Non-Surgical Medical Spa procedures and treatments, please contact the offices of Board Certified Plastic Surgeon (cirujano plástico), Dr. Marco A. Gonzalez (Dr. G) by clicking here or calling 915-600-2639.
Serving patients in El Paso Texas, Las Cruces New Mexico, Ciudad Juárez Mexico and surrounding areas.
